Retail Stores

Real estate is one of the largest operating expenses for retailers worldwide. Second only to labor costs, rent can account for more than 30 percent of expenses and, according to research from JLL and IBIS World, can absorb up to 13 percent of sales revenue. However, despite their significance, leases aren't always properly managed. According…

Sports apparel retailer Lids announced this week that it's launching a new retail concept called Lids University, or Lids U, dedicated to apparel and sports products for the college market. Lids U, which was created as a space for fans to purchase products from their favorite schools, will open in key college markets and serve each…

One of America's most iconic toy stores is returning to brick-and-mortar retail just in time for this year's holiday season, reports NBC News. Toys"R"Us will open shops inside every Macy's store in the U.S. by mid-October, part of a rollout that began last year, the companies announced in a release on Monday. The in-store shops…

Retail sales increased in June even as inflation climbed higher and drove up prices across the board, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said last week. NRF’s calculation of retail sales, which is based on Census numbers but excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants, reported that June was up 0.6 percent from May and up 5.8…

Waiting in line has been called a “timeless form of torture.” In the U.S. alone, Americans spend roughly 37 billion hours each year queuing. And the problem of waiting has only gotten worse. Restarting life as we knew it has proven more challenging than we initially anticipated. Supply chain issues and staffing shortages have thwarted…

Kohl’s announced that it's introducing Discover @ Kohl’s, a new in-store and online experience designed to embrace inclusivity and bring discovery and inspiration to every store trip and online visit. Discover @ Kohl’s features seasonal areas throughout 600 of the retailer's stores and website that curate “dozens of emerging, established, and diverse-owned brands that are…

Doug Herrington has been appointed to lead Amazon.com's retail sector, the e-commerce giant announced Tuesday. Herrington, a 17-year Amazon employee who previously led the company's North American consumer business, will be tasked with dealing with the effects of rising costs, a slowdown in demand, and excess warehouse space. He replaces Dave Clark, who announced his…

Consumers aren't just shoppers; they're guests who explore, discover, immerse and buy. This alone demonstrates the disconnect between the guest experience vs. the customer retail shopping experience which uses vocabulary such as filter, select and purchase. Hospitality is designed to entertain and cater to guests' needs, comfort, satisfaction and loyalty. From the very start of…

Employees at a Baltimore-area Apple store have voted to unionize, making it the first of Apple's 270-plus stores in the U.S. to join a union. In the election, 65 employees at Apple’s store in Towson, Md., voted in favor of being represented by the union, known as the Apple Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (CORE),…

Retail sales were down in May compared to the month before, suggesting continuing inflation and higher prices for essentials has been a growing concern to the American consumer. It's the first drop in retail sales in five months. The U.S. Census Bureau, in its monthly estimates report released Wednesday, said U.S. retail and food services…